Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Scientists are looking, literally, at a newly-discovered exoplanet, 51 Eridani b. It's less than 100 light-years away, about as far from its star as the gas giants in the Solar System: and very young, only around 20,000,000 years old. Studying 51 Eridani b should help scientists understand how our Solar System formed. HD 219134b is much closer: a little over 21 light-years away, in the constellation Cassiopeia. It's a rocky world, like Earth; but larger, and blistering hot. It's also the closest transiting exoplanet we've found so far. This is a big deal, at least for scientists who study planets.... ...Whether you know why I'm not offended by God's design choices or not, feel free to skip ahead to "An Infant Version of Jupiter" ; check out xkcd.com , and/or mainstream comics at gocomics.com ; or do something completely different.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

WHAT DOES HEAVEN LOOK LIKE? PEOPLE PLAYING THE HARP ALL DAY? A MANSION WITH MANY ROOMS? IS THAT ST PETER WELCOMING AT THE DOOR? CLICK HERE

Do you have a system to remind you to pray? Some days, it’s so busy around here, like realizing at 3 PM that you have not gone to the bathroom all day, I realize that I have not raised myself to God in prayer, except for the short morning offering that I pray as my day begins. Reminders, especially at my age, are good. So what I do is this. I wear my Rosary bracelet all day and all night. It’s blessed, so it’s a sacramental, and it’s a reminder to pray whenever I can. I also went rock hunting a while back. I found the rocks in the photo, and I wrote prayer intentions on them. I keep these rocks around my home, and when I see them, I whisper a quick prayer for the rock I saw first. Read more at:  Prayerfully Yours

From The Breadbox Letters

GUESS WHO'S IN HEAVEN? SOMEONE YOU EXPECT TO BE IN THE OTHER PLACE CLICK HERE

Outwardly, my life is diametrically opposed  to anything I could have imagined as a teenager. Yet this strange life I find myself living has brought me more fulfilment and joy than I ever could have imagined. continue reading

Friends are gifts from God. Think about your life-long best friend for a moment. Why have you been friends for so long? What keeps your relationship so strong? Certain people come into our lives for a time, and then major life changes, like a job change, or a move across country separates you and the friendship wanes. Yet, with your life-long best friend, neither time and/or space seem to matter. Why do you think that is? Certain relationships can weather any… Read more...

This week I gave a retreat for a school faculty whose theme for the year was "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (2 Corinthians 12:7).  St. Paul goes on to list gifts given by the Spirit such as uttering wisdom, healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues. We spent the morning reflecting on our gifts. I thought you'd like to share in some of the ideas from the retreat. The main thread was "What you are is God's gift to you, but what you become is your gift to God." Click to Continue

Yes, it was chaos trying to get out of the clinic today. I felt sorry for the valets. They were soaked to the bone, and people were very cranky and crabby as they had to wait for their cars. The lady smoking her e cigarette tried to find a dry spot just inside the clinic only to be asked to smoke her e cig outside. People were blocking each other trying to avoid the rain. There were more snarls than smiles. Very few blessings were spoken. Chaos. Or, so I thought. Read More at Prayerfully Yours

You are the Reason to Celebrate! It all starts here, one week from today! Everything is done, the table is set. Start the music. Let the fun and laughter begin! Come celebrate with me! Read to learn more about how you can join the party! Read more...

Children learn by doing. Take sharing, for example. Here’s what doesn’t work: Son, I’ve asked you to sit down with me today to discuss the multifaceted benefits of sharing, both for the individual who shares and for the community concerned with fairness. I realize you’re only two years old  [stop chewing on that electric cord, please],  but I believe even you can learn to appreciate why  [seriously, that’s dangerous–put down the cord]  sharing will enrich your young life. Here’s what works better: [Prying toy out of two-year-old’s death grip]  Honey, we’re going to give this little girl a turn with the toy. Why don’t you sing the ABC song with me? When we’re done with the song, she’ll give the toy back so you can have another turn. The detached exploration of abstract principles has its place, but typically not with young children. Children are concrete thinkers. Effective parents embrace that fact and use immediate, hands-on opportunities to help childr...

  DO WE EVER MISINTERPRET WHAT GOD HAS SAID? CLICK HERE

Obviously, an effective mother is passionate about teaching and loving her kids. It is passion, an inner drive, that is not dependant on seeing results right away. It is passion from the Holy Spirit which prevents discouragement or burnout because it is an inner fire  motivating and energizes mums. We must learn to connect spirit to spirit, heart to heart with little people in and through God if we want to teach and form them into children of God.  There are practical tips, though. continue reading

JMJ I took a class, a free online class, that was open to children and the “young at heart.” Ok, I’m young at heart, right? The class was actually quite fun. There were 6 projects in the class. Each project taught a different technique. From the overall postings of projects in the class, the “Picasso Dog,” was the most popular. Using “cubist” techniques, each person drew a dog. The dog you see is the dog I drew. I used an app on my Ipad, and drew the dog. Poor dog. If you saw a dog that looked like this on the road or at the vet, you’d think that there’s something really wrong with that animal. It looks like it was tied in knots. (I wish I had thought of this earlier.)  That would make a more interesting picture. Knots? Next dog. Next time. Read more at:  Prayerfully Yours

A true friend loves without fail; that is the foundation of true friendship. True friendship requires mutual love between parties. How does a friendship result? First, you identify common interests. Next you perceive desirable character traits in each other. You are drawn to each other, and want to mutually pursue getting to know each other better. Through the interchange of dialogue, you come to know more about each other, and the friendship blossoms. You build trust with each other. Before you know it, you have mutual love for each other, and call each other friend. The same can be true for our relationship with God. Read more...

Blessed are the peacemakers is the 7th of the eight beatitudes that can be found in St. Matthew: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You can read more about Melanie Rigney's new book at Being Catholic ... Really .

Here is an excerpt from my journal dated 7 August 15: "Today i cried when someone was sick. My beloved pet dog, Socks, is suddenly sick and its just too much for my heart and mind. I had to sob. Now m trying to figure out why am sobbing so much. What is it about her that makes me feel i just can't live without her. Like she is irreplaceable. Like she is the one who taught me many important lessons. Like i v not yet matched her when it comes to giving love. Like i don't care what this ache sounds like." And i lost her in this life on 8 August 2015. Read the full post at J.A.M.

“Lord, send forth your Holy Spirit to bring consolation and strength to persecuted Christians.” Pope Francis @Pontifex May 22 As the persecution of Christians and Christianity around the world increases, the news is full of their martrydom and their sufferings. Each day, as we look forward to the new beginning, we plan what to make for breakfast. We choose what to do after work. We complain about the weather. We search for new clothes to wear. We ponder which product to choose at the grocery store. On the other side of the world, our sisters and brothers in Christ flee for their lives with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Read more at Prayerfully Yours ...

'True holiness does not mean a flight from the world;  rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life,  in the family, at school and at work, and in social and political involvement.'     Pope St. John Paul II   (continued at The Cloistered Heart)  

Our Gospel readings are still in the Bread of Life discourse. This week's installment was John 6:51 - 58 . 1 After two millennia, what our Lord said may have lost some shock value: " Whoever eats 19 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. " ( John 6:54 ) On the other hand, last year someone asked me if I realized that Catholics are cannibals. We are, sort of: but it wasn't our idea. ( June 22, 2014 ) Bread, Gnawing, and Choices Quite a few Christians sidestep this bit of the Gospel, but I can't. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The early Christians were very careful to keep the relics of saints and martyrs, even if it involved great risk (like trying to retrieve the remains of those who were eaten by lions). They did this out of great reverence for the body as a member of Christ and temple of the Holy Spirit  (see I Corinthians 6:15, 19). That first Christian believed in Mary’s Assumption is proven in the lack of her relics, empty tombs, the existence  of Transitus Mariae stories, and quotes from early Christians.    continue

Sr. Christina Marie Neumann  started   Our Franciscan Fiat  on behalf of her community, The Dillingen Franciscan Sisters in  North Dakota.   In it, she covers a variety of topics pertaining to their religious life. Posts from this website will appear in our sidebar once or twice a week. Sr. Christina  serves at St. Anne's Guest Home in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  Along with her work at their home for the elderly and disabled, she also has taken up writing a couple of blogs.  The Franciscans hope to connect with people who are already friends of their community as well as women interested in Religious Life.  The inspiration for the title of  the blog comes from the wealth of meaning behind the word fiat. “Fiat” is the Latin word for “Let it be,” which is often used to refer to Mary’s response, her “yes” to the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation.   We, as Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen, are called to echo this loving,...

The Gospel of John  (2003)    Dir. by Philip Saville. Jesus played by Henry Ian Cusick; narrator, Christopher Plummer.  [Today's gospel from 1:31 to 2:54] Gospel   John 6:51-58  ( NRSV, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Jesus said to the crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.    Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live becau...

"For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving;  for it is sanctified by God’s Word and by prayer.” 1 Timothy 4: 5 Paul’s teachings of thanksgiving never ceased. He continues to remind us to: Thank God! Thank God for everything and at all times! Thank God! Thank God! Thank God! For it is only with thanksgiving and praise for God that we will find true peace.  Read more at:  Prayerfully Yours

When I was little, I begged my Mom for a Barbie. Every Christmas I waited with bated breath for my Grandparents to arrive, knowing they’d bring me a beautiful, expensive, finely crafted Madame Alexander doll. I loved those dolls and still have them, but I didn’t really appreciate them. I played with them, brushing their real hair until the style was unrecognizable, wrinkling their finely made clothing, and tearing their delicate silk stockings. I enjoyed those dolls, but I failed to value them for their true worth. I really wanted that cheap Barbie. Finally one Christmas, because my Mother loved me despite my snubbing her lessons on value, I got my wish. I was really into gymnastics that year and was thrilled to get a Barbie gymnastics set along with the doll! The set included a bar I could snap Barbie’s wrists into and a crank that, to my delight, made Barbie spin wildly around the bar. To continue reading or to share this article with som...

We knew this universe was fading, but now scientists have a much clearer picture of how fast the lights are going out.... ...Other scientists are pretty sure they're detecting neutrinos generated inside Earth. "Pretty sure" isn't "really sure," though, so they're still working on that research.... ...Right after a very quick glance at natural philosophy becoming science, I'm going to say why I do not believe that thinking is a sin — again. You've probably read that sort of thing on this blog before, so skip ahead to Portrait of a Fading Universe , teach yourself origami, read a good book, whatever.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Face to Face Eye to Eye Spirit to Spirit Mary falls into her baby's gaze. Silent communion Deep understanding Infinity shared with a finite mortal. Finite Mother of an Infinite God. continue reading

Not for me, but for a young woman I met today at Michael’s. I saw her and she was buying glass bottles. Out of curiosity, I asked her why she was buying so many glass bottles. She asked me if I had ever heard of “Blue Water.” No, I hadn’t. Well, to shorten this story a bit, blue water is water that you “brew” in the sun. The water has to be in a blue bottle. Like sun brewed tea, blue water is, she said, healthy for you. She said that she drinks a lot each day. We chatted for a few minutes, and she told me that she was a music journalist. She gave me her card. I have discarded the card. The conversation continued. She said, “I have something to tell you.” She motioned for me to walk with her to a corner. She said, “I used to be very depressed, since I was a child, but I went to a shaman, a powerful shaman, and I found out that I had a spirit attached to me since I was born.”  Read More at::  Prayerfully Yours

a baby at 7 weeks gestation It's been disturbing to see all the Planned Parenthood videos recently. They are a reminder of how depraved the human heart can be. How God must grieve for His children. However...here's the positive nugget. These videos are an education on the abortion industry. Through the back door, a sliver of light has illuminated a dark evil.  We need to take advantage of this and LEARN. I came across the worst of the PP videos this week. It's fifteen minutes long, but eleven minutes in, the viewer sees discernible fetal remains. (To watch the video, click here: HARD FACTS.)   Bloody parts collected from a day's work are picked through with a pair of tweezers. It's horrific to watch, but important to see, because we have been in the dark too long about what abortion is. We don't really want to know, because then we'll be forced to reckon with what we think about it - we'll have to take responsibility for what we've seen - so...

Doing the dishes. Cleaning the bathroom. Making the bed. Doing the Laundry. Feeding the cats. Walking the dog in the heat of the day, not because you want to do that… Cleaning the litter box!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!! Being silent. Watching TV. Opening the door for a stranger. Making cookies for a friend. Cooking breakfast. Making a Rosary. Not complaining. Being nice to someone who is not nice to you. Read more at:: Prayerfully Yours